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Vileness
The Vileness is the term used by the Aes Sedai to describe a period of extreme unpleasantness in their recent history in which Tower law was flouted and several innocent people were killed. The Vileness deepened the existing tensions between several of the Ajahs, most notably between the Blue and Red. Unknown to many, the Black Ajah had a significant hand in events as well. Background For centuries, a secret cadre of Darkfriends who were also Aes Sedai existed within the White Tower. The Black Ajah selected sisters from amongst all of the Ajahs to serve them, and it worked in great secrecy. One of the reasons for the Black Ajah's existence was to provide the Shadow with access to the Dragon Reborn, since it was assumed that the Aes Sedai would locate then either take control of or ally with the true Dragon Reborn when he emerged. The Black Ajah was led by a single woman and reported to the Forsaken Ishamael during the rare periods when he was at liberty from Shayol Ghul. The Black Ajah's role In 979 NE, Jarna Malari, a Grey sister and also the leader of the Black Ajah, imprisoned the Amyrlin Seat, Tamra Ospenya, and put her to the question. Whilst she learned that the Dragon had been Reborn, she did not learn when this event had occurred before Tamra died from the interrogation. She therefore did not know that the Dragon Reborn was an infant, only just born a few months earlier during the Battle of the Shining Walls. Jarna decided to show initiative by tracking down and murdering the Dragon Reborn. When Sierin Vayu of the Grey Ajah succeeded Tamra as Amyrlin, Duhara Basaheen, a Red, was named as her Keeper of the Chronicles, a break with tradition as the Amyrlin and Keeper usually came from the same Ajah. Duhara however was also Black Ajah. She was therefore ideally positioneed to view information from the Aes Sedai's vast intelligence network. The vaguest report of a man who proved unusually lucky would result in the dispatch of Black Ajah sisters to kill him. One of the earliest and highest-profile such casualties was Prince Diryk, the second son of Queen Ethenielle Cosaru Noramaga of Kandor, who had survived a 50-foot fall by chance. This event, chronicled in New Spring, revealed to Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche that the Black Ajah did not know how old the Dragon Reborn was, giving them a little more time to act. The Red Ajah's role Whilst the Black Ajah was carrying out their search-and-destroy mission, it occurred to Jarna that they could manipulate the Red Ajah into doing their dirty work for them as well. She instructed Galina Casban, the head of the Red Ajah and also a Black sister, to select certain trusted Red sisters to carry out the mission. Since the Three Oaths prevented them from directly killing individuals, they usually had to circumvent the oaths. The most successful method was to gentle the man on the spot and loudly announce who and what he was before leaving him to the inevitable mob to deal with. It is possible that Sierin Vayu gave a tacit nod of approval to this mission, as she was very strongly pro-Red Ajah. Ishamael's Reaction Upon gaining liberty from Shayol Ghul in 983 NE, Ishamael demanded a report from Jarna on her activities. Ishamael was furious with Jarna's work, since he wanted the Dragon Reborn found alive and turned to the Shadow, not killed outright. He executed Jarna in a spectacular and painful fashion and appointed Alviarin Freidhen as her successor. On Ishamael's orders, Alviarin terminated the search-and-destroy mission, and Black sister Chesmal Emry manipulated several Red sisters into murdering Sierin Vayu in 984 NE to cover their tracks. Discovery The precautions were for naught. In 985 NE, Thom Merrilin, the court bard at Caemlyn and the lover of Queen Morgase Trakand, learned that his nephew Owyn had discovered that he could channel and had been found by Red sisters. The Red Ajah gentled him on the spot instead of taking him for trial. When his village discovered that he could channel, he was exiled from the village and died soon after. Although Thom was unable to get any kind of public reaction from the Aes Sedai, his confrontation with Morgase's advisor, Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, did publicly expose the Red Ajah's activities. The new Amyrlin, Marith Jaen, and the Hall of the Tower conducted an investigation, was shocked by what it found, and immediately deposed all three of the Red sitters: Toveine Gazal, Lirene Doirellin and Tsutama Rath. They were exiled to remote farmsteads to work an open-ended penance. Aftermath The Vileness was mostly kept hidden, even from other Aes Sedai. This is shown when Cadsuane mentions it in the presence of Merena and Annoura both of the Gray Ajah, and both do not appear to know what she is talking about. Only the three Sitters were punished, finding and punishing all those who were involved would have weakened not only the Reds reputation but also that of the Tower itself. Therefore most of the sisters who actually carried out the crimes, such as Galina and Elaida, were not harmed at all. Of course, the Black Ajah's hand was not suspected at all. After Elaida became Amyrlin Seat in 999 NE, she eventually recalled the exiled sitters and gave missions of some importance to sisters involved in the Vileness, further discrediting her in the eyes of some of the other Aes Sedai. Category:Aes Sedai